Zayd Saidov

Zayd Sherovich Saidov (Зайд Шерович Саидов; born 20 March 1958) is a Tajik businessman and politician. Saidov was engaged in business through the 1990s, but in 1999 went into government service, working as Tajikistan's Industry Minister from 2002-2007. In 2013, he was arrested and sentenced to 26 years in prison for his alleged engagement in financial fraud, polygamy, and sexual relations with a minor. He is currently serving 29 years in prison after additional charges of forgery, embezzlement, abuse of office, and tax evasion were added.

Background Before his arrest, Saidov maintained close ties with Tajikistan's ruling elite. Saidov held a ministerial position as head of the Industry Affairs Committee from 2002 to 2007. A campaign of government-backed denigration and threats followed and on 19 May 2013 he was arrested upon returning from Paris. On 25 December 2013 Zayd Saidov received a sentence of 26 years imprisonment for his alleged engagement in financial fraud, polygamy, and sexual relations with a minor. An additional three years in prison were later added to his sentence for forgery, embezzlement, abuse of office, and tax evasion.

International Response In February 2014, Human Rights Watch called on the Tajik government to "end its harassment of the political opposition". Steve Swerdlow, Central Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch stated, "Saidov's conviction starkly illustrates that the Tajik government will neither accept criticism nor the role of opposition parties in a democratic society,".

Freedom Now, Civil Rights Defenders, Human Rights Watch, and the Norwegian Helsinki Committee joined together to call on the UN Secretary-General and the European Union to investigate Saidov's sentence and imprisonment.

In July 2019, Freedom Now submitted a report detailing the case to the Office of the UN Human Rights Committee. This report was delivered in advance of Tajikistan's Universal Periodic Review conducted by the UN in June 2019.